Rehabilitation Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease

Cognitive rehabilitation therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) are becoming more readily available to the geriatric population in an attempt to curb the insidious decline in cognitive and functional performance. However, people with AD may have difficulty adhering to these cognitive treatments due to denial of memory deficits, compromised brain systems, cognitive incapacity for self-awareness, general difficulty following through on daily tasks, lack of motivation, hopelessness, and apathy, all of which may be either due to the illness or be secondary to depression. The core premise of cognitive enhancement therapies for AD is based on neuronal plasticity. Aging causes a gradual loss in brain systems including neuromodulatory functioning. However, the nervous system has the ability to adjust its structural organization in response to the environment. The brain has the capability for restructuring itself to adapt to changing circumstances or novel stressors. The benefit of goal-oriented cognitive rehabilitation therapy is improving Alzheimer’s patients’ quality of life. Individualized goal-oriented cognitive rehabilitation therapy appears to change the lives of Alzheimer’s patients allowing them greater independence and control.

About Aquilus International

Aquilus International promotes, support and facilitate the development of scientific research to understand and harness the potentiality of innovations.